Neoconservatives and the pro-Israel lobby

Sometimes I feel that I am a lone voice crying out in the wilderness, and then, all of a sudden, I notice that even the mainstream media is finally starting to pick up on themes that I had noticed quite some time ago. You will find me repeatedly referencing "the Neoconservatives and the rest of the so-called Pro-Israel Lobby". That sounds rather like a quack conspiracy theory, but I assure you it is based on personal observations and encounters over the years during my residence and visits to Washington, D.C. Now, all of a sudden, I read an article in the NY Times by Helene Cooper and David Sanger entitled "Rice’s Counselor Gives Advice Others May Not Want to Hear" where they use almost the same language as me:

Likewise, in choosing Mr. Zelikow as her counselor, she eschewed Elliott L. Abrams, a darling of neoconservatives and the pro-Israel lobby.

The good news is that the gist of the article is that the influence of the "neoconservatives and the pro-Israel lobby" may be waning, even as the "realism" and "practical idealism" of people like Philip Zelikow begins to increase. The article goes on to discuss the "distance" between Mr. Zelikow and Secretary Rice, but at least he is there as a tempering influence.

-- Jack Krupansky